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Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell.
Aidan O’Connell appears to have dodged a serious injury. During the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, O’Connell had to be carted off the field in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury.
It appeared that his season would be over until ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that O’Connell merely suffered a bone bruise in his knee and is going to attempt to play against the Atlanta Falcons this week.
While that’s good news for O’Connell and the Raiders, they can’t rely on him too heavily considering his knee is still hurt. With that in mind, the team announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed undrafted rookie quarterback Carter Bradley to the active roster.
The former South Alabama standout was signed by the Raiders in the offseason but hasn’t had a chance to play in a game. He’s been on the practice squad all season despite the injuries at quarterback. It appears that he’ll have a chance to be active for the first time this season. If O’Connell plays, he’ll almost certainly be the emergency quarterback.
The fact that the Raiders didn’t place O’Connell on the Injured Reserve is a sign that they believe he’ll play again this season.
Desmond Ridder Will Start if O’Connell Can’t Play
The Raiders are holding out hope that O’Connell will be able to return for Monday Night Football against the Falcons. It’s likely the only primetime game they’ll be playing the rest of the season. While the Raiders would prefer to have O’Connell start, head coach Antonio Pierce said that Desmond Ridder will get the nod if he can’t play.
“Yeah, (if there’s) no Aidan, it’ll be Desmond,” Pierce said during his Monday press conference.
Ridder has been able to see the field a few times with the Raiders due to quarterback injuries. He hasn’t made much of those opportunities yet. Regardless, knows that the young quarterback is eager to prove himself.
“There’s been some bright spots and there’s been some other spots we wish we had back,” Pierce said. “But what we do see is a guy (Ridder) who’s very competitive and that takes his job seriously. He has an opportunity. If Aidan’s not able to go and he’s the starter, it’s another great opportunity for him to showcase himself.”
Raiders Coaching Staff Has Had to Adjust a Lot
If Ridder starts on Monday, it will be the third different starting quarterback for the Raiders this season. The offense hasn’t had any continuity this season, which is a big reason why they have the 27th-scoring offense in the NFL.
Pierce spoke about the constant adjustments the team has had to make on offense this season.
“Less is more,” Pierce said. “Know what you’re dealing with at quarterback. Really playing to the quarterback. It ain’t too much what we want to do scheme or the coaches and what ideas we have. It’s what works for the quarterback and what are they familiar with and what are they comfortable with and what can we execute at a high level with. And if we do that, we’ll put ourselves in better positions so we can speed up the game for the quarterback.”
